The undergraduate program in Art Education prepares students to teach grades K-12—focusing on curriculum for junior or senior high school. The Art Education curriculum is a combination of Studio, Art History and Museum Practices, and service learning opportunities that prepares students for more advanced training to become an art educator either in schools or museums. In the fifth year graduate credentialing program, students are immersed in education classes and have opportunities to student teach with excellent Master Teachers in Humboldt County.

The art education curriculum is a combination of service learning experiences, studio art courses, and art history. The lower division core classes give students a working facility with a wide range of art media, styles, and equipment. This strong foundation is critical for effectively teaching a range of arts. Upper division courses provide students with the opportunity to concentrate in a particular studio area and master the pedagogical skills needed to develop art curricula that engage an increasingly diverse student body.

Students have the opportunity to develop curriculum and teach art in HSU's Studio School for children and teens, as well as in local area schools. Art education students also help to prepare local high school students to serve as docents at local galleries and museums.

Students who enter our fifth-year credentialing program are immersed in education classes and have opportunities to teach with excellent master teachers in Humboldt County. Students must apply for this program and pass a competency assessment of subject matter, which takes place during the spring semester of their senior year.